Nightfall
by Eagleh-sama
Summary: They're all dead... The Clans are all dead... There's just the four of us now, living in the forest alone... StarClan has chosen me to rebuild the Clans, but I can't even lead one. I'm barely an apprentice. I can't lead a Clan!


**Prologue**

_"Are we almost there, Birchclaw?" a lean golden she-cat padded alongside her leader. Her amber eyes were glowing with anger and supressed hatred._

_A muscular grey tom turned to look at her, the moonlight making the scar on his face shine. He nodded. "We'll drive them out, Honeyfur. They thought that they could control us, that they could kill us all. But we'll show ThunderClan that they can't."_

_"But Birchclaw," a tiny brown queen mewed from her place in the large group of cats. "I'm nervous. You haven't had a chance to claim your nine lives since Flamestar died. And you know how strong those cats are!"_

_"It doesn't matter," Birchclaw mewed gruffly. "We'll beat them, Mousewhisker. We'll beat them senseless. ThunderClan won't ever control RiverClan!"_

_"No," grumbled a black apprentice from beside the brown she-cat. "There won't be any RiverClan left to control."_

_"Be silent, Blackpaw," hissed Birchclaw. "We have the other Clans to help us as well. Together, we can all get rid of ThunderClan once and for all. I knew that they were no good ever since Shadestar took control."_

_"But they're really strong," whined Blackpaw. "They've already killed half of our Clan. They killed Flamestar in one go!"_

_"Yeah," rasped a dark brown tabby tom. His amber eyes glinted in the moonlight. "It isn't just that they have a lot of cats, it's that they're super strong. None of their cats have died yet."_

_"We'll change that, Mudstripe," Birchclaw promised the older tom. "Even if we die tonight, we'll died for a cause. The survivors will rebuild the forest once more."_

_"There are only seven of us left in RiverClan," whined a tiny orange and white she-cat as she padded through the bed of reeds as they neared the river. "One of us is a kit."_

_Birchclaw looked over his shoulder and the small golden-brown tabby tom stumbling along behind Mousewhisker. "I know, Spottedpaw... But we have to trust that there will be survivors."_

_"There won't be survivors!" Honeyfur bristled. "You can't ask Mousewhisker's kit to fight. He's too small. They'll kill him in a instant!"_

_"No..." Birchclaw began thoughtfully. "What if why hid him somewhere where they won't be able to find him. He'll survive. Once the battle is over, he can leave the forest."_

_"Yes!" Mousewhisker gasped, wrapping her tail protectively around her and Flamestar's kit. "Let me go and hide him. I'll come back for the fight, Birchclaw. I promise."_

_"Or will you?" sneered Mudstripe, flicking his tail in anger. "How do we know that you won't run away as well?"_

_Birchclaw was about to defend her when Mouswhisker turned and spat at him. "I'm a loyal warrior of RiverClan! I pledged to give my life in service of my Clan and I will!"_

_The kit looked up, his green eyes shining. He flicked his ears and turned to Mousewhisker. "Mamma, what's going on? I'm scared..."_

_"Have you named him yet?" Birchclaw asked nonchalantly, flicking his tail at the tiny tom. The kit pressed closer to his mother as the group of cats tramped through the reeds, mud staining their paws._

_Mousewhisker nodded at the grey tom before turning back to her small kit. "It's going to be alright, Thornkit."_

_Thornkit squeaked and held onto his mother's tail with his teeth as they continued on. Eventually the group of cats reached the river, shining silver in the moonlight. Birchclaw turned back to Mousewhisker. "Take him and hide. We'll cross the river to Fourtrees and fight for our Clan."_

_The brown queen swallowed, nodding. She murmured a reassurence to her kit and began to lead him back through the reeds towards a safe him. Her eyes were full of pain as she glance back at the cats watching her go. "I promise I'll come back to you."_

_Birchclaw watched her go, sadness in his eyes. He turned to the four cats behind him and signaled with his tail. The group picked up the pace, swimming silently through the river. They pulled themselves up on the other side, pelts glossy with water. Birchclaw and Honeyfur led the way, their pelts touch as they padded through the bracken._

_Suddenly Blackpaw stiffened. Birchclaw turned around as Mudstripe asked, "What is it?"_

_"Cats..." Blackpaw murmured, and they all froze._

_Slowly, Birchclaw turned around to face Blackpaw. Without making a sound, he mouthed the word 'where' to Blackpaw. The black apprentice flicked his tail towards the left side of them. Birchclaw scented the air, and sure enough, he could make out the faint scent of cats. But every Clan had been doused in so much blood that the smells were nearly indistinguishable._

_The grey tom flicked his tail at Spottedpaw. She was the smallest, and could check them out the easiest. Nodding, the small ginger-spotted she-cat crept off into the bracken. Every fur on her pelt was bristled, and Birchclaw was worried that the other cats might be able to smell her fear-scent. A few tense moments passed before Spottedpaw returned. She looked more relaxed than before. "WindClan."_

_Birchclaw let out the breath he'd been holding. He signaled the cats to follow him and he crept forward towards the cats. Darting out of the bracken to face the WindClan leader, the grey tom must have looked like an apparation from ThunderClan._

_The black and white tom leading WindClan leapt back, fur bristling. The cats behind him also bristled, still tensed when Birchclaw moved away. The rest of the RiverClan cats padded out from behind him, their eyes flashing. Birchclaw dipped his head to the WindClan leader. "Greetings, Rapidstar."_

_Rapidstar eyed them carefully before dipping his head in return. "Is it truly you, Birchclaw?"_

_"It is," Birchclaw replied softly, signaling for his cats to join the WindClan one. "RiverClan have five right now, and a sixth coming. What about WindClan?"_

_"Eight including myself," Rapidstar replied catiously, looking at his assembled warriors. "We've suffered less casualities since we don't border with ThunderClan."_

_Seven cats peered out from behind Rapidstar. To his left was the newly appointed deputy, a creamy tom called Shrubtail. Behind them was a silver tabby she-cat by the name of Silverfur, her blue eyes watching the cats carefully. A hulking white warrior, Snowstep, stood behind her, occasionally nuzzling his mate, Swallowfur. She was a beautiful white she-cat with ginger spots, her belly swollen with kits. Thistlepaw and her brother Falconpaw stood side-by-side, their tan pelts touching. The last cat was barely more then a kit. Dustpaw looked around with wide eyes, his brown fur bristling._

_"Do you know about ShadowClan?" Birchclaw asked, turning back to the tall tom._

_Rapidstar shook his head. "All I know is that they were hit the worst. I wouldn't be surprised if they had less than four cats."_

_Birchclaw looked down, wincing. "This is it, Rapidstar. Our final stand. We have to get rid of ThunderClan once and for all. I never thought it would come to this."_

_"I always did," Rapidstar mewed quietly. He bowed his head. "Come, let us go to Fourtrees."_

_Birchclaw nodded and rounded up his cats, padding in front of the WindClan group. They reached Fourtrees to find a mangy group of cats were already there._

_A black tom looked up. He was thin and smelled like crowfood. He padded over to Birchclaw and Rapidstar, meeting them as an equal. "ShadowClan is here... all of four of us."_

_"Greetings Ravenwing," Birchclaw mewed to the leader of ShadowClan. Like Birchclaw himself, Ravenwing had not had time to visit the Moonstone for his lives._

_The grey tom passed the skinny black one to check on the rest of the ShadowClan cats. He made the brown form of Volefoot, the dusky ginger she-cat Sandflower and a small grey apprentice called Pebblepaw._

_"How many are there? Do you know?" Birchclaw could hear Ravenwing questioning Rapidstar._

_"I don't know. Maybe around twenty-five? I know all of their elders and queens are fighting. ThunderClan's gone crazy. First Shadowstar comes into power, and then they kill all medicine cats, including their own. Then they attack us, killing Flamestar and Darkstar. Now it's our final chance to destroy ThunderClan and bring peace to the forest," answered Rapidstar._

_"Peace without cats," grumbled Ravenwing._

_Birchclaw turned, about to say something when an ear-splitting yowl pierced the night air. It was echoed by dozens of other cats, each one adding their own melody to the disturbing noise. The cats in Fourtrees backed into a circle with the apprentices in the middle. Eyeing the other leaders, Birchclaw took in a deep breath as he waited for the river of cats to pour down into the hollow._

_A giant black tom padded out at the top of the slope. It was Shadestar, looming over the assembled cats. Behind him, eyes flashed in the darkness. A grin grazed his face as he yowled, "Say hello to ThunderClan."_

_Then the cats poured down the slope, yowling and hissing. Before he knew what was happening, Birchclaw was tussling with a large white she-cat. She aimed for his throat, trying to dig his fangs into his flesh. Birchclaw fell to the ground, kicking at her underbelly. She dug her teeth into his shoulder, ripping at his chest with her powerful claws. Blood soaked through his fur, but Birchclaw wouldn't let her kill him. He grunted and flipped them over, biting for her neck with his jaws. As he was about to deliver the final stroke, a heavy weight fell onto his back and pulled him off._

_Flipped onto his stomach, Birchclaw kicked desperately at the lean ginger tom that was attacking him. The white she-cat got up and lunged for his throat as the ginger tom held him still. Birchclaw made one last attempt to escape and managed to move his throat, leaving the white she-cat with her fangs in the ground. She whipped up, prepared to finish him off when a black form got her by the back of the throat. She hissed and fell silent as Blackpaw climbed off of her back._

_Taking his chance, Birchclaw kicked the distracted tom off of him and leapt up, snarling at the ginger cat. Blackpaw joined him as the circled the tom. The black apprentice lunged, digging his claws into the tom's shoulders. The tom howled in pain and twisted his neck, snapping at Blackpaw's exposed throat. Blackpaw tried to pull away, but the jaws were too close. Birchclaw stood there, rooted to the spot until a skinny ginger form bowled into the ginger tom. Blackpaw tumbled off and leapt up again, but the ShadowClan warrior, Sandflower, was already digging hierclaws into the ginger tom's throat. The ginger warrior made a desperate lunge and caught Sandflower by the throat as well, and they stayed together as the life seeped out of them. Blackpaw made a move to help, but Birchclaw barred him with his tail. "Don't, it's too late."_

_A familiar yowl echoed above the sound of the fighting cats, and Birchclaw ran towards it, screeching at the top of his lungs. "Honeyfur!"_

_He saw the golden she-cat disappear under the large weight of a tall brown tom. He leapt on the tom, biting at his neck. The brown warrior turned and caught Birchclaw by the throat, so fast that Birchclaw didn't think it possible. Birchclaw tried to escape, but the tom had hooked his massive forepaws around the grey warrior's throat. Birchclaw felt the air being squeezed out of him, and he tried to escape. Blackness began to creep in at the edges of his vision._

_Then Honeyfur was there, claws digging into the brown tom's stomach. Her eyes were narrowed as she made him bleed, and the brown tom yowled in pain. Birchclaw wriggled out and was about to dig his fangs into the tom's throat when the brown cat's eyes snapped open and he hissed, "ThunderClan is invincible."_

_It was then Birchclaw recognized the dark brown splotch above the tom's left ear. His breath caught in his throat. He knew this cat. The brown tom had used to be a great and brave warrior. Now he was bloodthirsty; a maniac. "Barkclaw!"_

_Barkclaw's eyes glinted as he grinned up at Birchclaw. "Can you still kill me now that you know my name?"_

_Birchclaw hesitated. This tom had once been a warrior just like him. He winced, then replied. "Yes, I can."_

_And then his claws were in Barkclaw's throat, ripping the warrior apart. Distracted in his task, he failed to notice the shadow behind him until Honeyfur yelled, "Watch out!"_

_The grey tom turned to see a large silver tabby she-cat in mid-air. Honeyfur barrelled into him, pushing the grey warrior away. The she-cat landed on Honeyfur instead, and the two tussled, snarling and biting. Birchclaw hung around, looking for an oppurtunity to jump in. Honeyfur clawed at the she-cat's belly, while the silver tabby tried to dig her fangs into Honeyfur's throat. _

_"Just go!" rasped Honeyfur as she struggled, the silver tabby pinning her to the ground. "Go, Birchclaw. I can beat her!"_

_"Honeyfur-" emotion welled up in Birchclaw's throat. He bit back a sob, feeling like if he left, he would never see her again. "I-"_

_"I said go!" she hissed at him, trying to flip the silver tabby over. Honeyfur's foot landed a blow on the attacking cat's stomach, and the silver she-cat scrabbled back a bit. Honeyfur got to her paws, lunging for the she-cat's throat. The she-cat dodged and pushed the golden she-cat down, and Honeyfur struggled to keep her throat away from the silver tabby._

_Birchclaw was still watching, riveted. "Honeyfur, I think I-"_

_"Birchclaw!" her voice was a plead as she bit down into the silver she-cat's shoulder, her claws slicing down the tabby's flank._

_"Honeyfur! I love you!" he called out, and the world slowed slightly._

_Honeyfur looked at him, and the ThunderClan cat took the oppurtunity to lunge for Honeyfur's throat. Birchclaw watched as the golden she-cat deftly kicked her away and sprang up. She looked back at Birchclaw. "Birchclaw, I-"_

_Those were the last words that he heard her speak. Before she could finish, a long-haired grey tom landed on her and drove her done, biting into her shoulder. Attracted by the blood, a dark ginger she-cat appeared, leaping onto the struggling RiverClan warrior._

_"No..." mumured Birchclaw, a cold feeling washing over him._

_He stood like that, oblivious to the battle going around him until a yowl brought his attention back to reality. "Birchclaw! Help!"_

_The grey tom followed the voice until he reached Mudstripe and Spottedpaw, fighting together against a large golden-brown tabby tom. He joined them, pouncing on the tom. Spottedpaw joined him, and together they sent the large tabby down to the ground. Mudstripe leapt over, the senior warrior sinking his fangs into the tom's throat. It seemed like another loss for ThunderClan. But then Mudstripe let out a yowl, and Birchclaw turned to see him dangling from the jaws of the ThunderClan leader._

_"Shadestar!" Birchclaw hissed, his voice full of hatred._

_The giant black tom tossed Mudstripe's lifeless body aside as if the dead warrior weighed nothing. He turned to Birchclaw, his amber eyes glittering with menace. He flicked his tail, signaling that no one else was to deal with the RiverClan leader while he was fighting him. "Birchclaw, Birchclaw, Birchclaw. When will you realize that it's futile to stand against me?"_

_"The forest is better off without you, Shadestar," growled Birchclaw, his neck fur fluffing omniously. "I'll give my last breath to see you dead."_

_Shadestar laughed, moving closer to the tom. Behind Birchclaw, Spottedpaw cowered in terror. Birchclaw rested his tail on her shoulder. "It's going to be alright, Spottedpaw."_

_"Oh, you can't promise her that," hissed Shadestar, stepping even closer. "It won't be alright. None of the other Clans have the right to live here. You're all weak. Only the strongest cats who live without healers; who live by darkness can survive. Do you hear me, Birchclaw? You are weak!"_

_Birchclaw winced. Shadestar was right. He was weak. He had let Flamestar die. He had let so many of his Clan die. He had left Honeyfur die. He was weak. "You're right, Shadestar. I am weak."_

_Shadestar grinned in triumph. He was almost on top of the grey tom now, when Birchclaw spoke up again. "But I'm still much stronger than you!"_

_The grey tom leapt up at the black tom, but Shadowstar swatted him down. The large black ThunderClan leader shook his head pitifully and raised his claw, preparing to silence Birchclaw in half._

_Then a flash of brown appeared, barrelling into the large black tom. Birchclaw leapt to his feet. The small brown she-cat on top of Shadowstar turned to him, her yellow eyes flashing with anger. "I told you I'd come back, Birchclaw. Now go help the rest of our Clan!" Mousewhisker mewed angrily as she swatted Shadestar, leaping back each time he tried to hit her._

_Birchclaw nodded and scrambled away, finding the Shrubtail fighting against a light brown tom that the RiverClan leader recognized as Snaketail, the tom who had killed RiverClan's medicine cat. Filled with rage, he launched himself into the fight, trying to murder the tom that had killed Fawnfur. Shrubtail fought with him, the cats working together to bring down the tom. Birchclaw half-expected to have another cat pulled him off as he dug into Snaketail's throat, but nothing occured. It was only once his muzzle was stained with blood and the thrist momentarily gone that he realized his cream ally had vanished._

_The grey tom turned to see the bloodied body of WindClan's deputy, tortoiseshell fur caught in the tom's claws. A wail of grief escaped him as he darted through the fray._

_"Blackpaw!" he gasped, almost running into the apprentice. The black tom turned angrily, his eyes menacing. He relaxed slightly as he realized who his would-be attacker actually was._

_"Birchclaw! Are you alright?" Blackpaw asked, looking his mentor up and down._

_Birchclaw nodded, shaking crimson drops from his neck onto the dark ground. Blood oozed from wounds on his shoulders and lower back; gouges caused by the crazed ThunderClan warriors. His left ear stung, and his back leg was cut deeply. "Listen, Blackpaw. You need to run."_

_Run!?" hissed Blackpaw, incredelous. He glared at Birchclaw. "I'll die before I abandon a fight!"_

_"Listen, Blackpaw," growled Birchclaw, narrowing his eyes. "Mousewhisker left her kit out there. He'll die unless someone finds him. You're just a young apprentice. You will die in this fight. At least if you run now, you can save a life. If ThunderClan survives, take Thornkit and leave. If not, stay here and survive."_

_"Birchclaw-" Blackpaw mumbled, looking down. His ears flickered, and Birchclaw realized the black tom probably handn't though of it like that before. "Alright, I'll go."_

_Birchclaw watched him go, the apprentice's black shape melding into the shadows of the night. The grey tom ducked as a golden ThunderClan warrior leapt for him. Birchclaw sprang to his paws, tense as the golden warrior eyed him. _

_The she-cat lunged for his throat, but Birchclaw batted her aside with a large paw. She tumbled to the ground but sprang up faster than was possible. She lunged at him again, faking a jump but really tumbling under his underbelly, raking the soft flesh with her claws. Birchclaw winced as the blood poured; leaping back and trying to kick the she-cat with a hind paw. She ducked easily and leapt on him, clawing at his flesh. Then she was pulled off on him, and the grey tom recognized the cat that had helped him._

_"Snowstep!" he gasped, getting up to claw at the golden she-cat. She twisted to the side as Snowstep leaned forward to bite her, and the white warrior ended up with her fangs in his throat. The she-cat narrowed her eyes maliciously, triumph visible in her posture. Birchclaw bowled into her, knocking her away from the white tom. Certain that he had saved Snowstep, Birchclaw was horrified to find that the she-cat had ripped a chunk of Snowsteps' throat away with her._

_As he bit down and killed the golden she-cat, Snowstep made a desperate step towards Birchclaw before tumbling down. The grey tom padded over to him, eyes shining with remorse. Blood poured from the open wound that was Snowstep's gullet._

_"Save her..." whispered the white tom, his voice barely more than a gurgle as his vocal cords were ripped._

_Birchclaw bent down. "Who?"_

_"Swallowfur," Snowstep rasped, closed his eyes. Blood poured from his throat, and Birchclaw turned away to look for the ginger and white she-cat._

_He darted through the throng of cats, desperate to ignore the deaths around him. He saw Spottedpaw gasping for air as a black tom tackled her, and for a moment he wanted to help. But Snowstep had requested something with his final breath, and Birchclaw had to obey. He eventually found the pregnanat she-cat struggling against a tall grey and black tabby._

_He immediately leapt into the fray, knocking the tabby over. His claws dug into the tabby's back, but the tabby flipped them over and slashed at Birchclaw's eyes. Birchclaw felt a sting above his right away, and winced as a drop of blood splashed into his vision. With his vision turning red, he desperately sliced open the tom's throat, the grey warrior killing him._

_"Th- Thank you," stuttered Swallowfur, her eyes filled with fear for her unborn kits._

_Birchclaw turned to her. "Run away, Swallowfur. Go through those hazel bushes over there and swim through the river. Follow Blackpaw's scent. Stay with him and Thornkit."_

_"You're asking me to run away?" Swallowfur asked, almost as horrified with the idea as Blackpaw had been._

_Birchclaw bowed his head as more scarlet flooded his vision. He could barely make out the WindClan warrior now, and her edges were turning a fuzzy red. His voice was deep as he mewed, "No, Snowstep did. He asked me to save you. It was the last thing he asked."_

_"Snowstep's-" the queen couldn't bring herself to say it. "He's-"_

_"He's with StarClan now," Birchclaw finished gently. "And he wanted you to run."_

_The ginger and white she-cat took one last mournful glance at Birchclaw before tearing herself away from the battle and running as fast as she could towards the tree line. Birchclaw turned away, guilt flooding his thoughts._

_As his world turned red, Birchclaw registered that there was one last thing to do. He set off through the crowd of dying cats, leaping over dead ThunderClanners and RiverClanners alike. He opened his mouth to scent the air for the rotten stench of ShadowClan. Finding it, he darted his way forth to the brown warrior he had been looking for._

_Thankfully, Volefoot wasn't in the middle of a battle. He turned to Birchclaw, his yellow eyes despairing. "StarClan must hate us."_

_"No, Volefoot," Birchclaw shook his head, padding closer to the brown tom. "StarClan has given us another chance to survive."_

_The brown tom looked at the RiverClan leader, confused. "What do you mean?" his voice was a whisper as he looked up at the large grey tom._

_"Thornkit, Blackpaw and Swallowfur have hidden away from battle. Thornkit and Blackpaw are young, and Swallowfur is pregnant. They have a chance of remaking the forest once this battle is over and ThunderClan is gone. But they can't survive on their own. They need a warrior to guide them. That's you," Birchclaw exolained, trying to keep his voice from breaking._

_Volefoot looked like he was about to say something, but he changed his mind. He looked back up at Birchclaw, eyes shining. "I'll do my best, Birchclaw."_

_Birchclaw directed the ShadowClan warrior towards the river, and the brown tom ran off. The grey tom watched him go, saddened. He turned back to the fight around him, filled with a new resolve. He would kill Shadestar and end this._

_He darted through the mass of cats, only pausing to throw a small white she-cat off of a small grey apprentice, Pebblepaw. The ShadowClan apprentice leapt up and continued battering at the ThunderClan apprentice. Birchclaw looked around, opening his mouth to catch the familiar scent of darkness. It hit him strongly, and he leapt towards it eagerly. The black tom it belonged to turned, grinning chillingly at Birchclaw._

_Barely able to see, Birchclaw lunged at Shadestar, hissing ferociously. Shadestar swatted him down, bending down to strike the final blow. Birchclaw couldn't resist any longer. He felt the fangs in his neck and tried to strike back, but his vision was entirely clouded. He felt he was dying. He knew he was dying. But the part he didn't except was when a heavy fell on him, blood seeping out of its fur._

_"Birchclaw..." he heard Ravenwing say, before the leader fell on top of the freshly killed Shadestar._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tragic. I really got attached to Birchclaw at the end. -sighs-

I'll be doing reviewer reply at the beginning of each chapter and a quick author's note at the end.

Yes, this is slightly AU, as they are in the old territories.

So review and tell me what you think so far, alright?

Eagleh


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